Album Details

• Artist: Widespread Panic
• Album: Free Somehow
• Label: Widespread Records
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: deatheyesforkiley on 2008-06-09

Widespread Panic has been at it for a very long time. Free Somehow would be their 10th album. Lucky number 10 right? Wrong. Free Somehow is a mediocre effort with little to be overly excited for. It brings the sound you would expect to see at the Bamboozle Music Festivle. Music that would make Jack Johnson loving college kids sway back and forth and be elated with joy. I can see why it has been said that the music Widespread Panic makes would be better live and also why they have been called a "Jam-band" of sorts. The music is filled with horns and twangy guitars.

The opening track is a spirted little track entitled "Boom Boom Boom." With a sing-alongish chrous it makes it obvious why it would be much better live than playing out of your car stereo.  Another "high" point in the album would be a song called "Angels On High." It is filled with horns and enough bass guitar to make it feel like your listening to a jazz record. While this change of pace is welcome it just is not that great of a track. Continuing the Jazz/Soulfest is  the very last track entitled "Up All Night." It is a southern sounding diddy that feels very forced. To say it directly incase you have not picked up on this yet the album Free Somehow had the potential to be great. Instead of being great it was just okay. It is not bad but its okay.  You will not be blown away here but Widespread Panic will not dissappoint you with this effort. 

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